Are lab-grown diamonds really better than natural diamonds? Whether it is to symbolize love or simply buy more sustainably and eco-friendly options, many consumers have asked this question about lab-grown diamonds versus natural ones. There is always a room to compare lab diamonds vs real diamonds.
Lab-grown diamonds are visually and chemically identical to real diamonds, yet significantly cheaper and more ethically produced. Here are a few points for consideration:
Cost
Lab diamonds have become increasingly popular, thanks to their lower costs compared with mined gems. You can now find lab-grown diamonds of equal quality at 40%-75% less the price.
Lab-grown diamonds offer an eco-friendly alternative spicecinemas to mined ones as their carbon footprint is three times smaller. According to reports, natural diamond mining produces three times less greenhouse gas emissions than lab-grown ones do, leading to significant energy savings when producing lab-grown ones.
Man made diamonds Brisbane offer couples looking for something other than the traditional white diamond an attractive choice. Lab-created stones come in various hues, making them the ideal option.
Lab diamond prices have seen significant reductions over the past several years, becoming more accessible and affordable to most people. From reliable sellers they can be purchased for between 40% to 75% less than Earth-mined diamonds.
Sustainability
Sustainability refers to improvements made in environmental, social and economic aspects of products or industries as well as to regional or national environments.
Lab diamonds offer an environmentally sustainable option when shopping for stones without contributing to climate change, since they eliminate mining’s detrimental environmental impact and tend to last longer before chipping or scratching occur.
Laboratory-grown diamonds may seem eco-friendly, but the manufacturing process for them can be highly energy intensive. High heat and pressure requirements necessitate great amounts of electricity and water for their growth processes to take place.
As previously stated, the lab diamond industry remains unregulated and does not disclose the materials it uses for production, so we don’t know whether toxic chemicals or rare earth metals are being utilized, and how these materials will be handled when no longer useful to diamond production.
Appearance
Lab diamonds offer all of the same properties found in natural diamonds – sparkle, color clarity and cut. Available shapes include round, princess oval pear cushion radiant emerald asscher and others.
Candy colored diamonds, such as pink, yellow and blue can also be found. This is possible thanks to certain trace chemicals trapped within its formation process that end up coloring it differently.
As with other gemstones, diamonds can only be accurately assessed using gemological testing conducted at an accredited lab like GIA. Through advanced tests, gemologists can analyze strain patterns, trace element composition, inclusions, fluorescence and other features that differentiate lab-made from natural diamonds.
Lab grown diamonds may be just as rare and of higher quality than mined ones, providing an ideal alternative for those wanting to avoid environmental and ethical concerns associated with natural mining.
Clarity
Clarity can be one of the hardest elements to comprehend for many individuals, as it involves numerous blemishes and inclusions which obstruct light passage through a stone.
Laboratory-grown diamonds are produced using two techniques – High Pressure-High Temperature (HPHT) and Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD). Both of these processes incorporate metal inclusions which may impede clarity.
Unseen flaws on diamonds can have an enormous effect on their appearance; their size, type, and placement all play an integral part in its clarity.
Most clarity grading involves viewing a diamond under 10x magnification and assessing its relief, location and number of inclusions. Any inclusions spread throughout a wider portion will have lower clarity grades than ones concentrated into smaller areas.
